以撒有天然弱点如亚伯拉罕，且活在天然生命里如雅各
以撒是恩典的承受者，并且一生都是安息和享受。现在我们必须来看这个享受恩典的人，仍然有天然的弱点和天然的生命。这点我们很难了解。按照我们天然的宗教观念，总以为我们若是天然的，就不能享受恩典。按照我们宗教的观念，享受恩典是根据我们属灵的程度。我们都以为要享受神的恩典必须属灵。
以撒是个享受神恩典的模型和榜样。整本圣经里几乎没有另一个人像以撒那样享受恩典。他终其一生不作别的，只享受神的恩典。他的一生就是享受恩典的一生。然而在以撒身上，我们看到与亚伯拉罕完全一样的天然弱点。不仅如此，在以撒身上我们也看到雅各的天然生命。他像雅各一样活在天然里。雅各照他天然的喜好爱他的儿子约瑟（创三七3-4），在家庭里引起了难处。约瑟的哥哥们恨他，因为父亲偏爱他。以撒也偏爱以扫，因为以扫善于打猎，能猎得以撒喜欢的野味（创二五27-28）。因此，以扫是父亲的宠儿。由此我们看见，以撒和雅各就天然生命而论是一样的。
享受恩典是我们的命定
以撒是一个享受恩典的人。照我们天然的观念，一个有天然弱点，且活在天然生命里的人，绝不能享受神的恩典。这是我们的观念，这不是神的话。在圣经里，我们看不到以撒很属灵。他是一个仍有天然弱点，仍活在天然生命里的人。那么为甚么他这样享受神的恩典？只因神已这样命定。对我们基督徒来说，有神命定的一面。我们已经指出，享受神的恩典是我们的定命，这种定命远在创立世界以前就已豫定了。不要以为你若属灵，就有特权享受神的恩典；你若不属灵，就不能享受祂的恩典。这是宗教观念，圣经并没有这样教训。有人听说享受恩典不根据属灵，也许会说，“我们享受神的恩典若不需要属灵，那么就让我们不属灵罢！”不要这样说。属灵不属灵都不会帮助我们享受神的恩典，这完全是神的命定，并不在于我们的所是和所能。我们有以撒这一面。我们已经被神命定来享受恩典。我们属灵，不会更多享受恩典；我们不属灵，也不会失去神的恩典。但我们不该说，“让我们作恶以成善罢。”不要浪费时间想要属灵或不属灵，只要说，“主阿，因着你的命定我敬拜你。你已经命定我来享受恩典。”
每日一问：以撒一生都在享受神的恩典，但同时仍有天然的弱点。这对我们今天的基督徒生活有什么提醒？
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Isaac’s Natural Weakness and Natural Life (1) — Rom. 5:2
Isaac is the recipient of grace, and his entire life is one of rest and enjoyment. Now we must look at this person who enjoys grace, and yet still has natural weaknesses and the natural life. This is difficult for us to understand. According to our natural religious concept, we always assume that if we are natural, we cannot enjoy grace. According to our religious concept, enjoying grace is based on our degree of spirituality. We all think that to enjoy God’s grace we must be spiritual.
Isaac is the model and pattern of one who enjoys God’s grace. In the entire Bible, there is hardly another person who enjoyed grace as Isaac did. Throughout his whole life he did nothing else but enjoy God’s grace. His entire life was a life of enjoying grace. Yet in Isaac we see exactly the same natural weakness as in Abraham. Not only that, in Isaac we also see Jacob’s natural life. He lived in the natural just as Jacob did. Jacob, according to his natural preference, loved his son Joseph (Gen. 37:3-4), which caused difficulties in the family. Joseph’s brothers hated him because their father favored him. Isaac also favored Esau, because Esau was skilled at hunting and could bring Isaac the game he loved (Gen. 25:27-28). Thus, Esau was his father’s favorite. From this we see that Isaac and Jacob were alike in terms of the natural life.
Enjoying Grace Is Our Destiny
Isaac is a person who enjoys grace. According to our natural concept, a person who has natural weaknesses and lives in the natural life could never enjoy God’s grace. This is our concept — it is not God’s word. In the Bible, we do not see Isaac as being very spiritual. He is a person who still has natural weaknesses and still lives in the natural life. Why then did he enjoy God’s grace in this way? Simply because God had so ordained. For us Christians, there is the aspect of God’s ordination. We have pointed out that enjoying God’s grace is our destiny, a destiny ordained long before the foundation of the world. Do not think that if you are spiritual, you have the privilege of enjoying God’s grace, and if you are not spiritual, you cannot enjoy His grace. This is a religious concept; the Bible does not teach this. If someone hears that enjoying grace is not based on spirituality, they may say, “If we do not need to be spiritual to enjoy God’s grace, then let us not be spiritual!” Do not say this. Being spiritual or unspiritual will not help us enjoy God’s grace — it is entirely God’s ordination and does not depend on what we are or what we can do. We have the Isaac aspect. We have been ordained by God to enjoy grace. If we are spiritual, we will not enjoy more grace; if we are not spiritual, we will not lose God’s grace. But we should not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”. Do not waste time trying to be spiritual or unspiritual. Simply say, “Lord, I worship You because of Your ordination. You have ordained me to enjoy grace”.
Daily Question: Isaac enjoyed God’s grace throughout his entire life, yet he still had natural weaknesses. What reminder does this have for our Christian life today?